Tuesday, August 2, 2016

10 Things I've Learned Now That My Thyroid Kinda Works

I have Hashimoto's, which means I've spent a lot of my life with an under-active thyroid. Recently my doc upped my meds again to nudge it into the normal range. This has been... illuminating.


10 Things I've Realized From Having A Properly Functioning Thyroid


1. Dang, it's hot in here.

2. No, like, 80 degrees inside the house is HOT. Are you feeling this? Is this normal?

 And don't call me Shirley.

3. Owning 27 different sweaters, 12 jackets, and 9 scarves is suddenly not so helpful in August.

4. Feet can sweat? WHAT EWW NOOO EW

5. Having long hair is like having a Wookiee arm around your neck all the time.


Don't look so smug, Chewie. YOU'RE USED TO IT.

6. I've lived in Florida most of my life, but I only own one pair of shorts. And they're dusty.

7. That thing people say about "the other side of the pillow?" ERMERGERSH YESSSS HEAVEN.

8. TAAAAAANK TOOOOOOPS

9. SORRY I'M YELLING I HAVE 3 FANS POINTED AT MY FACE RIGHT NOW



10. All the energy I'm supposed to gain from this "normal" thyroid business is being wasted agonizing over whether I can leave the house in boxer shorts and flip-flops to go buy more shorts and flip-flops.

And then I figure I shouldn't let anyone see me like this at all but dang it's so comfy wearing less so now I figure I just won't leave the house 'til October. So please send shorts and flip-flops and maybe an AC repair guy because we can't get it below 79 in here and if I take off any more I'm going to stick to the furniture. And no, John, that is NOT a come-on, so quit smirking and bring me a giant tub of ice cream to smear all over myself OK I'm starting to see how this looks like a come-on.

... bring the ice cream anyway.






******



UPDATE: BONUS HAPPY FUNTIMES: 

 My friend Bianca just drew this helpful illustration:


If only I looked that cute and/or dry right now. 

:D

71 comments:

  1. Modcloth's Karaoke Songstress shorts!

    They button up the front so they're not as uncomfortable as zippers, and have some stretch, and are mid-rise. :D

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  2. Question: Do you notice that you're growing hair (legs & armpits) more rapidly? Also, stinky feet? Am I alone in properly thyroid levels = hair and stink?
    Asking for a friend ;)

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    Replies
    1. Not alone in either department. I promise.

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    2. Thanks for letting me know! I thought I was just a hairy, stinky, lonely freak ;)

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    3. My literal Jewish roots mean I've always had wookiee tendencies in the body hair department, so I haven't noticed any change there. The feet thing, though. O.o My feet have always been sweet-smelling icicles! This is NOT COOL.

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    4. I hope your feet stay sweet-smelling!!! I've yet to try baking soda in my shoes, but it's next on the list...

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    5. There are pretty decent insole options available now. http://www.smellyfeetcures.com/best-insoles-sweaty-smelly-feet/ My circulation's terrible, so it's not an issue I've had, and I can't vouch for any products, but I hear good things about carbon insoles. ~TAL

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    6. Jen... Intentional pun, or happy accident? LOL!! No, you're not alone, I seriously dislike moving in any temp 75 or over. Honestly, I'm uncomfortable doing anything in temps over 70 (indoors). You'll also find that 60 in the winter inside is freakishly cold, but outside at the same time of year? It's nice. Go fig...

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    7. deodorant on your feet before you wear flip flops or shoes without socks. it massively helps!

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    8. Bamboo rayon socks. Seriously. They are the only thing that helps my stinky feet smell normal.

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  3. Ha, this is me this last year (and not even in Florida). My doctor recently reduced me one-half of a pill once a week. Meh, it's all so complicated and fiddly because energy still really fluctuates.

    On the other hand, being cold or any bit off from the average is pretty bad. Even with low thyroid I never got cold but now that I'm warm almost all the time just ugh. With the allowance of space heaters at work, I had to run a fan at my desk even during the winter :(

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  4. Gurl I feel ya!
    Although having lived in FL my whole life the thought of feeling the need to wear sweaters and scarves in the summer is intriguing. Should I give this Hashimoto's thing a try?

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    1. Don't do it XD it's a TRAAAPP! Lol, though as a perk us Hashi sufferers don't sweat nearly as much as the average person. It can be useful for sure.

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    2. My fashion sense is suffering for sure; I've worn layers my whole life!

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  5. Haha, welcome to the sythroid club Jen! Im only in Alabama but I got bumped a few micrograms and I'm feeling the heat too!

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  6. Since I can't wear shorts to work I've embraced skirts and dresses. But working AC is a godsend. I'm up in DFW TX and we're all dying for December at this point.

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  7. Oh man, 80s is hot. Yes. I have a (I assume) healthy thyroid, but our 77 indoors sometimes leaves me sweaty... In the summer, I only ever have my hair up that's for sure!

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  8. Hahahaha! Oh you poor thing. I feel your pain so much right now but the way you write cracks me up! I am one of those people that's always hot. I dyed my hair pink and was told not to shower with hot water. I don't need to; I shower all day with hot sweat, and can barely hold the dye! Gross! Glad your thyroid is doing better though. Small mercies, eh? :)

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  9. I wondered how you could be always wearing sweaters in Florida, but I have been known to not remember to turn the heat up in the winter when I'm the first one home. What?, 65 in short sleeves isn't that cold.

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    1. Me too! I've always looked at your jackets and sweaters and layers and thought, dang, how does she manage to dress like that in Florida? (And 80 is WAY hot in the house. I keep my thermostat at 71.)

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  10. You could always visit Alaska. It's 59 outside right now and 72 in my house.

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    1. You're in Alaska TOO!?!?!? Hooray!!! EPBOT CONVENTION IN ANCHORAGE!!

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    2. Yeay for Alaska! Of course I'm way out in the boonies...

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  11. If you must yell into fans, the only polite way to do it is to begin with, "LUUUUUUKE! I AM YOUR FAAAATHEEEERRRRR!". Didn't your parents teach you anything?

    I'm usually cold. Except my feet. Sometimes my feet feel like those mitten warmers. I have to literally ice them in order to sleep. I'm hoping it's menopausal, because I really hate that 'friend' that invites himself over every month to make me eat chips and chocolate and makes me feel terrible. But, I hope the pre-menopausal stuff doesn't last years, like I've heard it can.

    My son recently remarked (on the way to a pool party that I would be unable to participate in) that he is so glad to be a boy. Yeah, well, I'll be the first to recover from any sudden Dementor attacks, over here in the corner by myself eating chocolate.

    -Just Andrea

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  12. LOL at the heat issues! I could never live in Florida - I have a neurological disorder that's exacerbated by heat and the 28-32C I've been suffering from way up in Alberta is insane enough!

    I have no idea how google ads work, but I removed my adblocker on your site so I can see them - does that generate revenue for you? Does clicking on the links do it or do I need to buy from the links? I haven't got funds right now for that but I'd love to help you out if clicking is enough! I can do it every day! :)

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    Replies
    1. No need to click! So long as you can see the ads, we get the revenue - so thank you!

      Also, if you ever buy stuff from Amazon, using that link over there in the sidebar gives us a small percentage. :)

      Delete
  13. Three words. Even though you may not like them try loose cotton knit dresses. Any natural fiber really. Even if you only wear them at home. Forget the shorts. They have a waistband and trap the heat in.

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  14. hmm sounds horrible :/ maybe sleep in the fridge? :p

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  15. My thyroid dose bringing me up to normal this year meant that even in the middle of winter up here in Vancouver it was barely cold enough for me to wear my wool sweaters, and they had to come off the second I was indoors! I can't imagine living in the heat D:

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  16. You know, every time you posted a photo of a cute layered outfit I did wonder how you could possibly wear layers in Florida. 27+C? Indoors? When it's that warm I go through I cycle of getting sticky, showering, then wandering around the house in a towel for the better part of half an hour trying desperately to get dry before dressing and getting sticky all over again.

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  17. Haha! Aw, this post was so cute! I recentlygot back from a month of field work in Illinois where it was hitting mid-80's by 9am. I have never been so bathed in sweat. I agree with some of the other posters: loose dresses!

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    1. Field work in Illinois?! Where? I grew up in Champaign and worked in the corn fields every summer through high school and college--not detasseling, but pollinating! (For research plots) Ah, the pollen sweat. In 100% humidity, so it has nowhere to go and just pools on your skin. Memories. : ) (Now I'm sitting here in my 65 degree house next to the ocean in northern CA, wearing a cashmere sweater and drinking hot tea and waiting for the fire I made to kick in. . . and wondering if I have Hashimoto's.)

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  18. Shorts are not the only answer. My favorite summer wear is jersey knit cotton dresses. I have a set of four of these that I tie dyed myself. Each is a different color. (Plus I have two more in my closet waiting for dye...)

    I find that loose or flowy cotton is much cooler than shorts or especially denim. Denim is SO HOT. Anyway, look in your closet to see if you have skirts or dresses that are fit to wear.

    Also, Florida doesn't have the monopoly on hot weather...the heat index was 110 here last week in central NC. That's a bit warm, even for me. :)

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  19. Gurrrrl! I feel ya! This Double-Fifth Generation Native Floridian has had issues with the heat my whole dayum life! And it's getting worse the :::cough, cough::: older I get. I was Rx'd with Hashimoto's too last year, but I've had thyroid issues for 10+ years before that. My a/c pretty much runs year round. 74 during the day and down to 70 at night with TWO fans blowing on me so I can sleep. Mentalpause was HELL in my house! I live in shorts. I am the complete opposite of you. I have one pair of jeans and they are moldy, not dusty! I also enjoy light flowy dresses in the summer, all 8 months of it! I find mine at Soma. Yes the bra place. And I also LOVE their bras and panties. I am not affiliated with them in any way but as a customer who loves their products. I have a wonderful a/c guy but I doubt he'd come over your way from the Tampa area.

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  20. Hoping your a/c starts cooling your house down more for you!!

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  21. I hate to ask, but I have a friend living near you who is having an awful time finding a doctor who will treat her thyroid condition without fat-shaming her. (she is active, eats healthy food, doesn't smoke or drink to excess, and is a very healthy person, just overweight because of her thyroid). If you have a good doctor, I'd love to pass it along to her!

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    1. I'm happy to share, but be warned this place doesn't take insurance: The Center for Natural and Integrative Medicine. (They're close to Universal.) I've been going to Dr. Kalidas for years, who's both an MD and a naturopath, so you can get "normal" medicine and more alternative stuff, if you want. He really listens (so rare in a doctor!) and presents options so you can make your own decisions, which I love.

      And fwiw, our insurance actually reimburses us for a lot of the tests, which helps. But the office visits - especially the first one - are darn pricey.

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  22. I was never one to feel cold easily and I have always sweat a lot, always had to wipe my hands before shaking hands with someone. So I have been really HOT (hah!) since Hashi was diagnosed and treated and I sweat buckets. Forget about ever having dry armpits, strong antitranspirant and all. Now in summer I SWEAT all over, there are drops forming on the backs of my hands(!), my hair is ALWAYS wet (I have to blow dry it when I get home), my jeans show salt rings once they dry off. You get the picture. Possibly part of it is a first sign of beginning menopause. Maybe that means it will slow off in ten years or so...

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  23. Embrace the shorts, shirts and dresses along with ponytails and abandon jeans until it cools off and since you live in south Florida that means Decemberish. For your now sweaty feet try some Anti Monkey Butt powder (and no, I'm not making the product up) it will work wonders. Here's the website for more information: http://www.antimonkeybutt.com Get the regular yellow container, the pink one (for women) has a strong perfume smell. So glad that your sword fighting medicine is working! Become very good friends with your a/c repair person. You and John enjoy that ice cream!


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  24. I also endorse skirts for summer. I always find shorts too clingy, even longer skirts let more air move around. I'm in Michigan, but summers still hit in around the 90s. Skirts and dresses forever! I like the really airy peasant style skirts. Also those are meant to be wrinkly so perfect for casual wear. I don't know about for feet themselves, but if you find shoes getting smelly, soaking them for an hour or so in a bucket of water with some denture cleaner tablets helps. I use that for my virbram running shoes, since you don't wear socks for them.

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  25. I sympathize and empathise! I can't STAND the heat. Now, I don't live in Florida, but I do live in Southern California, you know, the Mojave Desert part? But it's a dry heat. So I'm told. But 114 is 114 and that's hot wherever you are.
    And not to witch and moan, although that's exactly what I'm going to do, we don't have a/c. We have a swamp cooler in one room of our house and we lived like that for years and years and years. We raised our children with fans in the bedrooms. Now one of the bedrooms has a window a/c, and so does the living room. So with the swamp cooler running 24 hours a day, and the living room a/c going from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. we get part of the house to a very comfortable (not!!) 84 degrees. Clothing is loose, light, and perhaps more revealing than what you'd prefer to see people wear, but nobody really cares.
    Oh, and then get a hysterectomy and go through forced menopause. I'm surprised I actually survived it.
    But wait!! It gets better. Winter comes, and yes, we do have winter. It gets below freezing sometimes here. Of course the houses aren't built without any sort of insulation (we actually have a 12 inch diameter hole in the kitchen ceiling that goes right through the roof. I guess there used to be some sort of exhaust fan there? You can see the sky...) and there are many mornings we wake up to find that the wind blew from the wrong direction and blew out the pilot light of the furnace, and/or the pilot light of the hot water heater.
    Can I live with someone out there?

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  26. I was just diagnosed with hashimoto's disease about a month ago so I am just starting my journey to normalish tyroid. Is that normal to go from freezing to boiling?

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    1. I don't have hasimoto's (at least I don't think so), and I'm pretty sure I'm not menopausal (I'm 31), and I go from freezing to sweating at least 4 times a day.
      So I'm going to say it's normal... or... I need to find a better doctor.
      I blame the fun bags (boobs). They screw up everything.
      -P

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    2. I think it's normal, yes. I've heard the thyroid called our body's thermostat, so any meds that treat it will cause some wild swings. (I *still* feel freezing sometimes, even now, even with the house at 80.)

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  27. Welcome to the world of perpetually carrying a hair tie and a small fan. Since Hashi's I've had learned the true joy of wrecking every hair-do because I can't stand that 'Wookie' on my neck one more minute!

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  28. You guys should really summer in the UK.....it's 20 degrees centigrade where I am currently (so 68 in fahrenheit) and we all think this is the height of summer!

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    1. Oh oh - I forgot! I discovered a wonderful way of putting up your hair in the heat (cos you know, British summer.....) anyway, 2 plaits, one each side, that you put over the top of your head, and pin, in a very Germanic way (or at least that's how I feel when doing it!) and voila! It's a lot cooler, and if you're careful with the bobby pins, really comfy to sleep in! And less hair in Piete's face, so he's happy :D

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  29. Annnnnnd that makes me realize that I probably don't have the Hashimoto's condition because anything over 5% humidity and I start melting, I can not imagine the 100% stuff down in Florida-ergh.

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  30. Try this. It's amazing when you're cooking. Also, cats and children find it titillating.
    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VVSNwwWA4OU/Ue7A-rMg40I/AAAAAAAAD5M/Q4nxSDbNtgI/s1600/804.JPG

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  31. I currently (blessedly!) Have the opposite problem. My doctor prescribed hormones to deal with some issues and they make me cold! I started them in January and was miserable, but the silver lining is yes! I still feel cold in the summer! Last year I didn't feel cool unless the thermostat was at 73 or lower, this year I'm under blankets at 80! I'm in Texas, so this is really weird, but I'll take it (until December,then I'm sure I'll be miserably cold again).

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  32. As nearly your neighbor (except we mercifully have the sea breezes in St Pete), I laughed so hard I snorted at that LOTR bit at the end!! Thank you for that much needed laugh! Seriously though, skirts and bras that breathe will be your best friend. And I may own an order of magnitude more flip flops than real shoes... and socks are an abomination. Also, after decades of long hair I gave up and went medium length.... doesn't touch my shoulders but still long enough to do fun things with it without feeling like a cat is sleeping on your neck. Also, I now wonder if Florida is a haven for those with thyroid issues.... because a lot of that you were saying rang very true.... perhaps I should look into that... "Honey, did you turn the AC down again, it's fricken freezing in here?!" "Um, no, it's set to 79." "Hmmm... check again, I don't believe you."

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  33. If you leave the house in boxers and flip flops, you'll fit right in if you go to Walmart, lol. At least you can order online without leaving the house.

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  34. I am not going to lie, but I quit taking my thyroid pill for the exact reason. I was breaking out into a sweat in 20 degree winter! I felt like I was going through insanely early menopause or something. It was unbearable, to say the least.

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  35. Having suffered with both hyper and hypothyroidism I can sympathise with the multitude of symptoms. For me I'm way too hot with hyper, but I don't cope so well with hot weather anyway :) don't think i'll be coming to florida anytime soon!

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  36. I know the feeling Jen. I don't have Hashimoto's, but do have hypothyroidism, and once I finally got my medication stabilized, I started feeling summer heat. Now I live in Winnipeg, so most people think of us as being cold, but our summers are actually pretty hot. We can get into the low 100s with the humidity. Once I stopped being cold all the time, it was pure torture!

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  37. I'm a big fan of these skirts. I wear a women's 18, and the xL skirts fit well. They are made of a nice lightweight but sturdy cotton and don't bind and trap sweat the way that shorts can. https://krishnastore.com/gopi-skirt-jaipuri-printed-cotton-h-krishna-2728.html

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  38. That sounds like me. I never could deal with heat. As far as I know, my thyroid has worked properly. Now that I no longer have a thyroid and am on Synthroid...I still can't deal with heat. Yay continuity? *snarf*

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  39. I super thick hair that is hot and damp with sweat in the summer. Undercutting (shaving the underside) is probably the best thing I have ever done. It's like having air conditioning built in and doesn't show with my hair down. The heat index in Texas is frequently in the dangerously high category.

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  40. 79 degrees in the house? I'd die. Ours is at 73. We have extra bedrooms. Want to visit Austin, TX? It's just as hot here, but our A/C works great. :)

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  41. My saving grace is mom shorts. I buy them at costco and they are long enough to be "work appropriate" but allow me to not die. The rules for my mom shorts are they have to have the pockets sewn on the OUTSIDE of the butt, no flaps inside because then you have all that extra fabric bunching and making you hot. They have to have a zipper and a button. They have to have front pockets. (Pockets are important.)

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  42. Haha, I always wondered how you did so well in such hot and sticky weather - underactive thyroid is apparently the answer!

    (I love Disney World but I really hate the weather down there, it's one of the big things I complain about when Matthew says he wants to move to Orlando.)

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  43. Hmmm...my gp thinks my thyroid has never actually "turned on" yet i've been living in a world of perpetual heat almost my whole life. I am constantly cooking! I also sweat buckets, particularly from my scalp, of all places. I recently had a follow up with my endochrinologist and he said that my meds had my levels a little high...which I am sure is an exaggeration, but I have not noticed any difference with my internal thermometer. Which sucks in Winnipeg in the summer...it's so friggin' hot!!! yesterday, with the humidity, it felt like 95 fahrenheit and there was no respite. I am terrified about what is going to happen to me when I hit menopause!

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    1. Eeek a Winnipegger! We lived there for years, and though we are in Edmonton right now we're hoping to move back as our family is there. Enjoy Folklorama for me!

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  44. I had my thyroid removed a few years ago due to unidentifiable nodules, been on synthroid since, and now I realize how much the cold was bothering me before! Pennsylvania temperatures are now bearable most of the year, but I've never tolerated the hot humid summers well, and even with ac and a fan pointed directly at me I usually wake up sweaty, ugh. I kinda miss being cold all the time!

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  45. Braids!! Google all the braidy styles and get crafty with hair! (At least that's how I survive summer in So Cal with long hair.) Hubby is all for the GoT hair look I get when let them loose at the end of the night, so bonus evening look. Also, that cartoon is adorable. The "Foosh" hidden in the flames is what iced my cinnamon bun!

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  46. So as a native Floridian I'm fairly used to the heat. While my Yankee boyfriend sports cargo shorts even when it's under 60 degrees. I ALWAYS get crazy looks when people see me out with a cardigan and jeans on (I got you beat by owning two pairs of shorts!) , but as far as I know, I have a normal thyroid but one of my primary care physicians thought I may have Raunald Syndrome since it my hands and my feet will actually go numb. Never did the $$ testing though. I just blame work or as I lovingly call my office "the meat locker."

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  47. That kind of hot is why I live in Ohio and made sure to get an apartment with central air. Keep that sun and heat away from me. Third shift life!

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  48. I must be backwards. I have always sweated a lot, mostly on my scalp (sweat-dripping hair is not a good look on anyone). Since going on synthroid it's gotten better, ie not a sweaty mess in the middle of a snowy winter.

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  49. I wonder, does anyone describing sweating symptoms have hyperhidrosis? That's what I have and it's why hot/humid weather nearly destroys me. Unfortunately, I live in the tropics where it's routinely 120+ F heat index, and up to 97% humidity. Either way, you can learn a lot about how to cope with excessive sweating from the hyperhidrosis websites and forums.

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  50. I'm glad I remembered this post existed! Last fall I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid, low vitamin D levels, and extremely low iron levels. This is the first spring/summer transition I've experienced with all my levels normal. I can wear shorts and a t-shirt when it's 70 degrees and NOT be freezing cold. Instead I'm comfortable and it's very strange. I don't need a jacket when it's in the 60s, just a light sweater. As a person who always wore layers, even when it was in the high 80s, I don't know how to dress anymore. And my wardrobe that is half sweaters & sweatshirts isn't helpful at the moment!

    Since you haven't melted from the Florida heat yet, I have hope that I can survive an Ohio summer. :)

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